[WITH UPDATES] By now it's clear: no candidate for president of the U.S. goes down without a fight (except, of course, if it's Fred Thompson). The latest round of caucuses and primaries kicked up more sand in the faces of Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee, on the other hand, make friends everywhere they go, collecting delegates like Valentines.
Here's the dirt:
[UPDATE] Once it appeared Hillary Clinton would lose Maine on Sunday, her campaign manager stepped down. The Senator's longtime BFF Maggie Williams is taking over. The weekend was nothing but bad news for Clinton, since Obama handily won the caucuses in the states of Washington, Nebraska, Louisiana and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Primaries in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., on Tuesday could push Obama officially to the head of the line.
The ghost of John Edwards made a small reappearance too, in the form of reports that both Obama and Clinton met with him separately, presumably to ask him for an endorsement. Let's hope Hillary used her nice words, because we more than suspect Obama is his guy.
Back to voting: Mike Huckabee, with his charm, moxie and evangelical roots, stomped the dirty soles of his shoes all over John McCain in Louisiana and Kansas caucuses. He's still hundreds of delegates behind, but he's not leaving the race anytime soon (he also said he's not in this to become vice president). In the state of Washinton, [UPDATE]they called the win for John McCain, though not all precincts had reported. Huckabee thinks something's weird is going on. His staff is looking at challenging those results.
A more subtle game over on the GOP side is the one Ron Paul might be playing. What does this letter on his website mean? Will it clear the air of clouds of doubt? Will he, indeed, keeping on keeping on?
In a dust-up related to the campaigns (and what, right now, isn't related to the campaigns?):
A naughty MSNBC reporter was suspended indefinitely after making a comment that Chelsea Clinton was being "pimped out." He made two on-air apologies, but Clinton said that wasn't enough and threatened to back out of upcoming debates on the network.
“Nothing justifies the kind of debasing language that David Shuster
used and no temporary suspension or half-hearted apology is
sufficient,” Clinton wrote to NBC News President Steve Capus, who
apparently had already called Clinton to personally apologize.
We all know you don't mess with a mom's kids. Or Political Nanny's. Making fun of political policy -- or illogic, or general silliness -- is one thing. Pointing and laughing just to fill air-time is entirely another.
Now candidates, since we've all contributed to this messy primary election season, we all need to pitch in a little and sweep up. Oh, wait. It looks like Barack already did!
